Get Your Coat – You’re Fired!

A very common statement we read on social media posts is that it is OK to sack someone within 2 years of them starting, and you don’t need to give them a reason! Shows like The Apprentice, where Lord Sugar, sends another candidate packing with their raincoat after using the immortal phrase “You’re Fired!” make […]

Fired for putting disabled daughter first

In a unusual case at Employment Tribunal, a Belfast mother has won a disability discrimination case against the community advice centre that employed her. Maria McKeith was awarded £19,000 in compensation after she successfully brought a claim against her employer, the Ardoynne Association.  She had worked part time since 2010 but was dismissed in March […]

Dealing with the arrested staff member

Arrested! It’s been one of those weeks. Lots of interesting HR challenges to keep us on our toes and our pencils sharpened and dealing with an employer whose staff member had been arrested the night before was one such challenge as its not every week it happens. Case it should happen to you, here’s some […]

Ruling: Tribunal Fees Unlawful – What next for employers?

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] At the end of July you will have read that a decision has been reached in the courts on the case brought by Unison regarding how fair it was for the Government to introduce fees for applicants for employment tribunals. […]

She was eating a dead leaf!

Dyson and Truffle Bunnies

Sometimes I get five minutes to myself. If I do the place I want to be is in my garden watching my two bunnies, Dyson (he hoovers up the food) and his bunny wife Truffle. I had one of those 5 minutes this afternoon and me and my coffee sat in the garden watching the […]

Thinking about getting a car for your Early Years business?

car early years business

Recently I’ve been reading about Early Years’ employers who are thinking about getting a car to use in their Early Years business. Here’s some notes from the wonderful ladies at TI Accounting in Cumbria which may be useful to anyone in this situation. There are numerous factors to consider when deciding which method of buying […]

The malicious complaint to Ofsted by a staff member

malicious complaint to ofsted

It can be very stressful being an Owner/Manager of a Early Years’ setting. Rarely is it more stressful than when you learn from Ofsted that a staff member has made a malicious complaint about you to them. This is incredibly common. When someone wants someone to blame for their situation they often lash out and […]

Why can’t they just get along? Dealing with bitching staff

For a Manager, when their team isn’t working together harmoniously it’s a constant worry.  You wonder what the next person who comes through your door is going to tell you; and you worry how you will react. Your heart wants to ‘bang some heads together’ but your head tells you that probably wouldn’t be the […]

Help! I think my Nursery Nurse is smoking cannabis

CBD infused drinks

When you read posts like this on social media, I believe a reasonable person’s heart jumps a little. Please no you think, not in a Nursery environment! From a HR perspective we are used to absenteeism, lateness, poor attitude and even those who deliberately avoid work. Yet I’ve never got used to the fact that […]

Managing employee capability in your Early Years’ setting

Here’s the transcript from our recent webinar on capability… “Let’s talk capability.  First of all, what do I mean by capability?  Well, it’s the opposite of misconduct, they are two sides of the same coin, and capability is to do with ‘can’t do’ and misconduct is ‘won’t do.’ Now I’m going to talk to you about […]

Discrimination or Cultural belief?

From time to time we learn about circumstances in Pre-schools and Day Nurseries where parents are asking you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. A common one we hear of is a parent asking that you to ensure that your male member of staff doesn’t change their little girl’s nappy as in their culture, men […]

Calculating Holiday with an atypical contract

atypical contract

Most weeks we get a request to help calculate holidays often with atypical contracts. In terms of staff queries, holiday entitlement is up there at the top of the list when it comes to staff querying with their employer whether the employer has got it right or not. As an employer you always want to […]

Fire Safety in Day Nurseries & Pre-schools

This week we have a guest blog from Kevin Boreham, MD of Fast R Solutions in Worcester an expert on Fire Safety. Fire Safety is a big issue for any Day Nursery or Pre-school. Whilst many Day Nurseries and Pre-schools may believe that the building owner is responsible for ensuring there are fire exits, extinguishers […]

Can a Company be vicariously liable for the action of an employee?

Can a Company be vicariously liable for the action of an employee? It depends on what the case involves. In a recent case a Company was found not to be vicariously liable for injuries caused by an employee after a work Christmas party has ended? This was because it was after the Christmas Party and not during […]

How important are post employment confidentiality clauses?

Post employment confidentiality clauses early years

Confidentiality… How important are post employment confidentiality clauses in Early Years? Don’t breach my confidentiality! is a plea many an employer makes when they take on a new member of staff. The question of whether employees in general should have post employment restrictions in their standard terms and conditions has come up again this week. In […]

It took a stick to shift it from the toilet bowl

job description

You have to love social media. Some days when I read the daily round up of posts from Early Years’ Managers one post will stick out as you can picture the scene that led to the manager posting it. Today’s one that did just that. It was about a Pre-school first thing this morning where […]

Dealing with equipment and resources being damaged in your Day Nursery

damaged equipment nursery

The issue of equipment and resources in your Day Nursery not being looked after is nothing new. Owners often tell me that staff aren’t treating the equipment and resources as their own. That’s right, they don’t own it and some people wouldn’t look after the equipment even if they did. Here’s a list of a […]

Why thorough employment checks are necessary

I was reading about the case of Andrew Smith today. He’s an example why employers in Early Years’ need to ensure that thorough employment checks take place. Background Andrew was employed as a chef in a private Day Nursery in London. Despite being a registered sex offender. He was caught by police in 2008 trying […]

Employment References – The Risks and the Myths

Employment References It is common place for organisations to request employment references to establish the facts of employment and a necessity for Early Year’s employers. We normally approach the most recent employer, supervisor or educational establishment before other references. It is good practice only to seek employment references once a job offer has been made, not prior […]